Thredbo's New Boutique Accommodation

Spend two nights in a minimal apartment at the base of Mount Kosciuszko.

1/14

1/14

1/14

Published on 07 July 2017

by Kelly Pigram

Share

High Noon View, a boutique apartment set high in the Snowy Mountains, is the antidote to daggy ski field accommodation. The property was Sydney photographer Monique Easton’s childhood holiday home in Thredbo. She renovated it in 2016, frustrated by the lack of modern accommodation in the area. With a coat of paint and a little demolition, it’s gone from clunky holiday home to luxurious one-bedroom apartment.

Thredbo attracts travellers year-round with its ski fields, hiking tracks and stunning scenery, but its accommodation is not up to scratch. The village is filled with ugly ski lodges. Even the five-star accommodation is old-fashioned.

“You walk around Thredbo and there are all these beautiful 1970s wood cabins,” she says. “Why don’t people just lean into that? They tear everything out and make them look like 1990s suburban homes. There are so many bunk beds.”

She says Astra, a refurbished 1980s chalet in Falls Creek, is the epitome of what luxury ski accommodation should be. High Noon View is at the base of Mount Kosciuszko; five minutes walk from Thredbo Village. The balcony, surrounded by mountain views and silver gumtrees, looks directly onto the steep High Noon ski field – there’s no other property in sight. In such a remote area there’s no potential for room service, but Easton has a concierge on the ground to troubleshoot any problems.

The apartment’s colour palette is accented by light American oak on the ceiling and floors. The bathroom, clad in Italian stone, has underfloor heating and a walk-in shower, and the bespoke kitchen by Mr and Mrs White consists of a single black island with seamless cabinetry. Two black chairs from the Rén by Stellar Works collection and a coffee table from Hay make up the sitting area, and photography from American artist Clifford Ross appears on the walls in the living area. Compass hooks by Henry Wilson appear at the entrance in the drying area. The space is entirely modular – flip the bed up and move the furniture around as you like.

Easton has no formal design training, so sourcing the furniture, devising the floor plan and conceptualising the space was quite a feat. It’s a hobby for her: she’s currently renovating four properties across New South Wales – two in Thredbo (there’s another two-storey location coming next year), one in Lake Macquarie and her own terrace in Surry Hills. Much of her inspiration has come from shooting high-end fashion and advertisements in Sydney.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get our pick of the best news, features and events delivered twice a week

“I’ve been to lots of beautiful places on location shoots, so I’ve kind of picked things up along the way,” she says. “But I’m obsessed with furniture, so that’s where I learned most of it.”

Naturally, High Noon View is booked out for most of the 2017 ski season. But Thredbo is beautiful all year round – why not plan a trip in the spring?